Leachate

City officials have conceded defeat in their fight to stop the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency from building a plant to treat leachate from the Operating Industries landfill on a site north of the Pomona Freeway. David Bentz, interim city manager, told the City Council this week that he is convinced that EPA intends to put both a leachate treatment plant and a gas recovery system on the site where Monterey Park has envisioned a major commercial complex.

Richard Kahlenberg's Feb. 14 column in Ventura County Life on gas energy contains misinformation which should be corrected. First, the so-called municipal waste in most landfills cannot be considered "non-hazardous." Much of this waste is contaminated with chlorinated solvents, dry cleaning fluids and other industrial chemicals. These wastes result in toxic emissions that contaminate ground water through landfill leachate and are emitted into the air as toxic contaminants. In particular, landfills are generally regarded as the primary urban source of toxic emissions of vinyl chloride, a known human carcinogen.

In response to "The Truth About Trash," by Judy Berlfein, Science/Medicine, Jan. 22: Your article discussed the possibility of accelerating biodegradation of trash in landfills. We are sympathetic to this technology but not at the cost of contaminating our ground-water basin with leachate, the liquefied waste from decomposed trash. Even though no leachate from landfills has contaminated our ground water in the San Fernando Valley yet, we are still very concerned that contaminants may be found in the future.

In response to "The Truth About Trash," by Judy Berlfein, Science/Medicine, Jan. 22: Your article discussed the possibility of accelerating biodegradation of trash in landfills. We are sympathetic to this technology but not at the cost of contaminating our ground-water basin with leachate, the liquefied waste from decomposed trash. Even though no leachate from landfills has contaminated our ground water in the San Fernando Valley yet, we are still very concerned that contaminants may be found in the future.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has identified five potential sites in and around the Operating Industries Inc. hazardous waste site for a treatment plant to process thousands of gallons of highly toxic liquid collected daily at the now-closed dump near Montebello.

Hank Yoshitake can once again see the top of Mt. Wilson from an upstairs window of his home--a view that was obscured for years by a mountain of trash that has begun to settle. "It's still got a long way to go," Yoshitake said. "From my upstairs window, I could see the whole (San Gabriel) range" in the late 1970s. And now Ed Grey's mind is at ease when he invites friends and relatives to his Montebello home. The pungent odors that once fanned out from the nearby Operating Industries Inc.

Richard Kahlenberg's Feb. 14 column in Ventura County Life on gas energy contains misinformation which should be corrected. First, the so-called municipal waste in most landfills cannot be considered "non-hazardous." Much of this waste is contaminated with chlorinated solvents, dry cleaning fluids and other industrial chemicals. These wastes result in toxic emissions that contaminate ground water through landfill leachate and are emitted into the air as toxic contaminants. In particular, landfills are generally regarded as the primary urban source of toxic emissions of vinyl chloride, a known human carcinogen.

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency announced this week that it has made the final decision to build a leachate treatment plant for the Operating Industries landfill on property north of the Pomona Freeway. Leachate, created when rainwater and other liquids pass through trash, will be piped from the 135-acre portion of the dump south of the freeway to the treatment plant.

The state Department of Health Services and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will conduct a hearing at 7:30 p.m. March 2 at West Covina City Hall on a proposed permit that would allow BKK Corp. to build a leachate treatment plant at its landfill in West Covina. The plant would detoxify leachate, which can be liquid waste or rainwater that has picked up contaminants by passing through waste or liquid that was created from waste decomposition.

Although the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency has delayed action until mid-November, Rep. Matthew G. Martinez (D-Monterey Park) said there is little doubt that the agency will build a leachate treatment plant at the Operating Industries landfill in Monterey Park.

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency announced this week that it has made the final decision to build a leachate treatment plant for the Operating Industries landfill on property north of the Pomona Freeway. Leachate, created when rainwater and other liquids pass through trash, will be piped from the 135-acre portion of the dump south of the freeway to the treatment plant.

City officials have conceded defeat in their fight to stop the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency from building a plant to treat leachate from the Operating Industries landfill on a site north of the Pomona Freeway. David Bentz, interim city manager, told the City Council this week that he is convinced that EPA intends to put both a leachate treatment plant and a gas recovery system on the site where Monterey Park has envisioned a major commercial complex.

Hank Yoshitake can once again see the top of Mt. Wilson from an upstairs window of his home--a view that was obscured for years by a mountain of trash that has begun to settle. "It's still got a long way to go," Yoshitake said. "From my upstairs window, I could see the whole (San Gabriel) range" in the late 1970s. And now Ed Grey's mind is at ease when he invites friends and relatives to his Montebello home. The pungent odors that once fanned out from the nearby Operating Industries Inc.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has identified five potential sites in and around the Operating Industries Inc. hazardous waste site for a treatment plant to process thousands of gallons of highly toxic liquid collected daily at the now-closed dump near Montebello.

The state Department of Health Services and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will conduct a hearing at 7:30 p.m. March 2 at West Covina City Hall on a proposed permit that would allow BKK Corp. to build a leachate treatment plant at its landfill in West Covina. The plant would detoxify leachate, which can be liquid waste or rainwater that has picked up contaminants by passing through waste or liquid that was created from waste decomposition.

Even though the federal Environmental Protection Agency has not decided whether a plant is needed to treat leachate at the closed Operating Industries Inc. dump, Monterey Park and Montebello already are feuding over the possible site. The Monterey Park City Council has begun action to ensure that any plant would be built on the portion of the dump south of the Pomona Freeway.

Even though the federal Environmental Protection Agency has not decided whether a plant is needed to treat leachate at the closed Operating Industries Inc. dump, Monterey Park and Montebello already are feuding over the possible site. The Monterey Park City Council has begun action to ensure that any plant would be built on the portion of the dump south of the Pomona Freeway.